Elevated food bowls can provide relief for dogs with existing pain and are difficult to move. On the other hand, they are also said to increase the risk of gastric torsion, are more difficult to transport and are somewhat more expensive.
In my opinion there is no “right” or “wrong”. You can judge for yourself whether it is an option for you by looking at the advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
In total, raised feeding bowls have 5 significant advantages:
- Reduces existing pain
If your dog is struggling with joint problems or injuries, the elevation can make eating much more pleasant.
This is more often recommended by the veterinarian, especially for very old dogs, after an operation or for four-legged friends with severe arthritis. Because it prevents unnecessary pain.
The same applies to an enlargement of the esophagus (“megaoesophagus”). You can easily ask your vet whether it is recommended for your dog. [1]
- Do not slide along the floor
Things are different with normal bowls. With a rubber border you can make moving more difficult, but usually not completely prevent it.
Elevated bowls can be a real relief for seniors with existing back problems. Especially if you have problems bending over.
- Prevents scratching around in the bowl
All terrier breeds in particular have a strong instinctive urge to dig. In practice, this often leads to them starting to dig in their bowl when they are hungry.
It was the same with my former Labrador. Not only did the bowl become completely scratched, but he also often spilled the water in his madness.
This is not possible by design with raised feeding bowls. Stable models are usually not even movable and can hardly be knocked over.
- Less susceptible to dirt from the floor
In dusty or dirty environments, dirt from the floor is blown into the bowl more often. This is less the case with an increase – so the food stays fresher. [2]
Elevated food bowls can relieve pain when eating for dogs with injuries or joint problems. They also have the advantages that they cannot be moved, protect the owner's back, prevent scratching and remain less dirty.
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Disadvantages
In addition to all the advantages, raised bowls also have 3 potential disadvantages:
- Increased risk of gastric torsion
During gastric torsion, the dog's stomach literally rotates around its own longitudinal axis. The problem? This cuts off the blood supply.
For this reason, this rare disease can lead to death within a few hours, even if left untreated. It's not for nothing that veterinarians talk about the “mother of all emergencies.”
It was originally assumed that dogs with raised bowls swallowed less air and therefore had a lower risk of gastric torsion. [3]
However, the evidence for this was only anecdotal. The study situation is still mixed to this day. Other factors also play a crucial role.
However, the largest study to date on over 1,600 dogs demonstrated an increased risk of gastric torsion when dogs eat from raised food bowls. [4]
Having said that – there are numerous other risk factors as well:
- slings
- Old age
- Severe stress
- Physical activity after eating
- Great breed
- Overeating [5]
Personally, I think it is much more important to avoid competition when eating and to buy an anti-gobbling bowl for greedy dogs.
If you look at the average prices on Amazon, you will see that an elevated dog bowl is usually 2-5 times more expensive. But there are also very inexpensive models.
- Unnatural eating posture
Original promotions claimed that the elevation would keep the dog's spine straight and thus help with better posture in the long term.
But the reality looks different. Because dogs are descended from wolves, who eat from the ground and also sniff around the ground right from the start. [6]
The anatomy of dogs therefore tends to be designed more for eating from the ground. Everything else is against the nature of the four-legged friend.
- Less easily transportable
Elevated dog bowls usually have a higher weight due to the stand and can only be partially dismantled. Normal bowls are therefore superior for transport.
However, if I'm honest, I wouldn't take normal dog bowls with me when traveling either. In my opinion, a foldable bowl like this is much more practical.
Incidentally, there is also the myth that increasing the height means that fewer food scraps end up on the floor. But I can't confirm this from my own experience.
Using elevated feeding bowls can increase the risk of gastric torsion. In addition, these types of bowls are comparatively more expensive and difficult to transport. They also cause the four-legged friend to have an unnatural eating posture.
Conclusion
I think raised bowls are a great solution, especially for dogs with orthopedic problems. In my opinion it is not a must for all other four-legged friends.
The content, however, is much more important. So a high quality dog food. Personally, I've had both at home in the past.
A blanket statement with “good” or “bad” is inappropriate here. Because there are both beneficial models and less suitable variants.
My recommendation: Stainless Steel Elevated Feeding Bowl from Amazon.
If you decide to do so, I can recommend this model to you. It is dishwasher safe, stable, height adjustable and a real eye-catcher.
There are also matching anti-swallowing bowls, so you no longer have to worry about a potential stomach upset.
By the way, the ideal height is at chest level. So where the legs cross with the chest. However, I would advise against fixed models without height adjustment.
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